Cable handling clamp



Aug. 25, 1959 w. c. suENRAM CABLE HANDLING CLAMP Filed Jan. 7, 1955 Wayne 6; .Suenram INVENTOR.

CABLE HANDLING CLAMP Wayne C. Suenram, Moundridge, Kans. a Application January 1, 1955, Serial No. 480,515

3 2 Claims. c1. 24-134 T The present invention relates to tools and implements for holding and handling cables and the like, and has more particular reference to a novel jaw-equipped tool which is expressly designed and suitably adapted to handle service entrance cables and wires and to do this in a manner which does not cut, scar or injure the cable in any appreciable or noticeable way when it is being stretched, pulled or otherwise handled. V An object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical, economical and easy-to-use jaw equipped cable clamping and handling tool through the medium of which members of a city crew and others may elfectually handle so-called S.E. three-conductor, and two-conductor service entrance cables, the design of the jaws and manner of cooperation of the same being such that they not only securely grip the cable, but do so in such a way that the cable is rarely injured or undesirably twisted or bent.

Tools and implements in the category stated are characterized by a pair of handles, levers or lever units which have portions crossed and pivotally connected together and provided with opposed jaws movable toward and from each other and varying ways and means for mechanically or otherwise pivoting the levers to satisfactorily open and close the jaws. 'It is therefore another object of this invention to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon similarly constructed and performing cable clamping, gripping, pulling and stretching tools.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention, a tool is provided which comprises an L-shaped lever unit having a generally straight long arm and a lateral short arm at one end of said long arm and a jaw at the other end thereof, a complemental lever unit generally J-shaped and embodying a long arm having an intermediate portion crossing and pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of said first named long arm, a jaw pivotally mounted on one end of the J-shaped unit and positioned to move toward and from said first mentioned jaw, a rigid push-pull rod slidably mounted between its ends on said short arm and pivotally connected at one end to one end of the long arm of the J-shaped lever unit, and a ring carried by the other end of said rod.

Another object of the invention has to do with the construction stated and wherein the push-pull rod is linearly straight and provided at one end with a ring, the other end being pivotally connected with one end of the long arm of the J-shaped lever unit and the intermediate portion thereof being not only slidable but pivotally connected with the short arm of the L-shaped lever unit.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a cable handling tool or clamp constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and showing the jaws closed in full lines and open in dotted or phantom lines;

. 2 t Figure 2 is a top plan view of the tool shown-in Figure 1; u

Figure 3 is a section on the vertical line 3--3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in section and elevation taken on the horizontal line 4-4 of Figure 1.

{With reference now to Figure 1, the L-shaped lever unit is denoted, as an entity, by the reference numeral 6, while the companion J-shaped lever unit is denoted at 8. The third and complemental unit, the jaw opening and closing unit, is denoted by the numeral 10. j

The L-shaped lever unit'comprises a relatively long and substantially straight arm 12 having an offset intermediate portion 14 and an outer end portion 16 The lateral short arm is denoted at1 8,* an'd the freeend thereof is bifurcated and the furcations are denoted at 20. These furcations are provided with bearing holes for theheaded end portions 22 of a pin 24 having a guide opening 26 therethrough. This opening serves to'accommodate a slidable and rockable linearly straight pushpull rod 28 having a ring 30 at one end and a head 32 at,

the opposite end. This head is pivotally connected at 34 to the'outer end portion 36 (see Figure 4) between the furcations 38 on the long arm 40 of the J-shaped unit 8. This unit 8 also has an offset portion 42 which crosses the ofiset portion 14 and is pivotally connected thereto at 44. There is a return bend 46, the lateral terminal 48 of which is provided with furcations 50. A lug at 52 one end of a substantially rectangular blocklike movable jaw 54 fits between the furcations 50 and is eccentrically pivoted thereto, as at 56 in Figure l. The extremities of the furcations are curvate and of rockerlike configuration, as at 58. It will be noticed that this jaw is suitably serrated or toothed, at 60, is self-leveling and is shaped and sized to fit into the channel portion of the relatively stationary channel-shaped jaw 62 fixedly mounted on the outer end portion 16 of the leg or arm 12. This manner of cooperation of the jaws is brought out in Figures 2 and 3, and in Figure 3, it will be seen that the wall of the channel at the right, that is, the wall 64, is somewhat shorter than the left hand wall 66. Thus, the jaws are guided together and they nest properly with requisite rigidity and there is little likelihood of relative slippage in a lateral direction, that is, at right angles to the lengthwise axis of the arm 12.

Experimentation has shown that this jaw formation and the manner in which the jaws move apart and come together virtually ensures little or no scarring, distortion or injury to the cable end (not shown).

In using the device with small wires, the ring 30 may be used as a finger ring. Where heavy duty cables are involved, a tow line (not shown) is connected with the eye or ring 30 in a generally well known manner. In any event, this specific construction provides reliable and powerful leverage and makes the tool highly adaptable and satisfactory for the particular purposes for which it was designed and is currently being used.

Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in handling cables, wires and the like, a clamp comprising a first lever unit L-shaped in elevation and embodying a long arm and a short arm, and a stationary jaw fixedly mounted at the one end of said long arm, a second lever unit generally J-shaped and embodying an arm disposed at an angle relative to and having a median portion thereof crossing and pivotally connected to a median portion of said long arm, one

end portion of said second lever unit arm being opposed to and spaced from said short arm, said pivotal connection being spaced from the fixed jaw, one end of the arm of said J-shaped unit embodying a bend provided with a bifurcated terminal, a movable jaw havinga lug :eccentrically pivoted between the furcations .of said bifurcated terminal, said fixed jaw being channel-shaped in cross-section, said movable jaw being adapted to seat itself in the channel portion of the fixed jaw, and a rigid push-pull rod provided at one end witha ring, the other end of said push-pull rod being pivotally connected with the other end of the arm of the J-shaped lever unit, and a portion of said rod being slidably and also pivotally connected with an end portion of said short arm.

2. A clamp for gripping and handlingcables comprising a first lever generally Lshaped in side elevation and embodying a long arm and a short arm, said shortarm having a bifurcated end portion providing spaced furcations, a pin having end portions mounted for rotation in bearings provided therefor in the respective furcations, said pin spanning the space between the furcations and being provided with an opening located between said furcations, a jaw fixedly mounted on a forward end portion of said long arm, a straight rigid push-pull rod having a portion between its ends slidably mounted in the opening in said pin, one end of said push-pull rod extending rearwardly to one side of the furcations and being provided with a ring, the other end portion of said push-pull rod extending forwardly beyond said furcations and being disposed in a position spaced from said long arm, a second lever J-shape in side elevation and having an arm crossing and pivotally connected with a median portion of said long arm rearwardly of said fixed jaw and having a curved portion the terminal end of which is directed toward said jaw and provided with a pivotally mounted self-levelling jaw member which is opposed to and cooperable with said fixed jaw, the other end portion of the arm of the J-shaped lever extending in a direction toward the bifurcated end portion of said short arm and having an end portion coplanar with and movable toward and from said bifurcated end and hingedly connected to the end portion of said pushpull rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Frederocl Aug. 10, 1875 

